Article by Carrie Anderson
In October, my family and I lost our beloved Norwegian Elkhound. We were all devastated and had difficulty moving on. Our grief was real and palpable. As someone who stays home with her child, I regularly spent at least eight hours a day with our dog. The sudden loss of his constant presence, the feel of his fur, his movements, and his love of my cooking was not something I thought I could recover from. He was our first dog and while he was imperfect, he meant the world to me. I loved him for such a very long time and his absence felt like a shattering inside that couldn’t be repaired.
As a family, we knew we could never get another dog. We put away his things. Hung his leash, put his collar on display and framed some portraits of him. The winter was especially dark. I enrolled in a Grief Reiki course to help myself and my family. Slowly, our grief subsided into a more manageable loss and we could begin to recall fond memories of our dog.
As Spring came, I realized that the decision to never have another dog was not beneficial to my peace of mind, spirit, or soul. However, I was alone in the wanting of another pet. I began to look through the shelter dog postings, looking for one that reminded me of our beloved dog. None of them ever looked like him and they never had that soul piercing look in their eyes.
I took to Reiki to help ease the pain and asked for help in living without the presence of a constant companion and best friend. I used a Reiki box to ask that there be some way that a dog could enter my life and that I could spend time with one.
About two weeks of Reiki with this very specific intention, I discovered a new program through our local shelter. Volunteers would be able to take shelter dogs out for adventures. Daily, for two to three hours in the morning, a volunteer could take a dog, that needed a home, out to local parks. This was part of a new study that was researching the dog-human relationship. Time out of the shelter is extremely beneficial to the dogs. It would give volunteers time to learn more about individual dogs. Allow the dogs time to practice skills, be seen by the public and give them time in a less stressful environment.
Image by JL G
I quickly filled out an application and became a volunteer. I was part of the inaugural day for this new shelter program. Each dog that I took out was unique. It was an absolute delight being able to spend mornings with a dog, just hiking, walking, and talking. Looking in their eyes, I knew that they saw me as a friend, a person to spend time with, but there was a mutual understanding that I was not their new person and they were not my dog.
Since I do have my certification as an Animal Reiki Master, I asked the director of the shelter if I could also give the dogs Reiki. She readily agreed, which really surprised and pleased me. I explained that I would be home for several days without the ability to take any dogs to the park. I offered to allow a dog that might need more time alone to heal from surgery the use of my sofa for the day, with the understanding that I would also be performing a Reiki session if the dog allowed it.
I was scheduled to pick up a beautiful Pit-bull that had an issue with her front leg. However, when I showed up at the shelter, that dog had been sent to a foster home the previous night. Instead, I was handed a Blue Heeler mix. She was 9 years old, a victim of cruelty, neglect, and had been seized from her owner. She had just had an enormous mammary tumor removed, had a growth on her back, scale-like skin and had no fur around her neck. The shelter said they felt that she wasn’t highly adoptable because of her age and medical conditions.
I brought her home and she was instantly at home. She showed that she had impeccable manners, thorough love of life, that she wanted nothing more than to be beside you and to love and be loved by you. I tried taking photos of her, but they were all blurry. She wagged her tail so much that I could never get a picture of her being still. She took several naps by my side and calmly allowed me to administer her medication. She gladly accepted Reiki and put her head in my lap, with a grin. I asked for her highest good, for health, and a future life of happiness.
When it was time to return her to the shelter, I asked that if she were available the next day, that I would love to take her on another “adventure” even though it was more of a “relaxing time” than any kind of adventure. The next morning, I picked her up and she came home again. She allowed me to do another Reiki session, this time she fell asleep. I again used the intention for her highest good, for health, and for her future happiness.
I spent the evening regaling my husband with tales of this dog. Telling him how gentle, kind, loving, intelligent, wise, and beautiful she was and that she was so at home. She didn’t take up any extra space, she just felt like an extension of our family. He was completely against getting a dog, but he said that we could foster her. I had never thought this was even an option. I was just going to go to the shelter every day and take her out for a few hours until someone came to adopt her.
Due to her extensive medical conditions and age, I was allowed to begin fostering her the very next day. It took less than 48 hours for the family to realized that this dog was family. This dog was at home-our home was exactly where this dog knew it needed to be and we needed her here too. We waited two weeks to ensure that she was happy with us. As of this past Monday morning, she proudly wears dog tags that bear her name and our home address. She is a true Reiki miracle and blessing.
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Carrie earned her Ph.D in Metaphysics and Energy Healing through World Metaphysical Institutes. She is a Reiki Master Teacher, Animal Reiki Master Teacher and holds degrees in several types of Reiki. Her focus is on Distance Reiki. Carrie is a Master Level Psychic Intuitive and gives daily readings. She combines Reiki and Divination to create unique readings. She is accredited through World Metaphysical Association and Council of Holistic Healers. She also has certifcations in Teen Guided Meditation,. Additionally, she is a Professional Yoga Facilitator with a focus on Gentle Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Yoga Nidra. Carrie is a co-author with Mellisa Dormoy for the book, “Easy Mindfulness for Today’s Teens”. She is an active member of the Natural Healer Society and may be reached at www.caresreiki.com
Amazing experience.